When was anaxagoras born

Anaxagoras of Clazomenae circa — BCE was one of the most innovative and influential figures in pre-Socratic philosophy. His work bridges the naturalistic inquiries of earlier Ionian thinkers and the metaphysical developments of later classical philosophy, particularly in the works of Plato and Aristotle. Anaxagoras is best known for his introduction of nous mind or intellect as the organizing principle of the cosmos and his theory of infinite divisibility, which posits that all things contain portions of every other thing.

Anaxagoras, statue at the Natural History Museum, Vienna. Anaxagoras was born in Clazomenae, a Greek city on the coast of Asia Minor, and later moved to Athens, where he became an influential figure in the intellectual and political life of the city. Among his students and associates were Pericles, the influential Athenian statesman, and Socrates , who was indirectly influenced by his ideas.

Anaxagoras lived during a period of intense philosophical activity, following the pioneering work of the Milesian school, Pythagorean thought , and Eleatic metaphysics. His philosophy reflects a synthesis of these traditions, addressing the limitations of earlier cosmologies while introducing new concepts that expanded the scope of philosophical inquiry.

According to Anaxagoras, every substance contains portions of every other substance, and these particles are infinitely divisible. For example, a piece of gold contains not only gold particles but also particles of earth, water, and fire. It is the predominance of gold particles that makes the substance appear as gold. This theory resolves the apparent contradiction between the unity of being, emphasized by Parmenides , and the observable diversity of the natural world.

Anaxagoras' philosophy of mind

Anaxagoras argued that nothing comes into being or passes away in an absolute sense; instead, change occurs through the mixing and separation of particles. This idea preserves the permanence of fundamental substances while accounting for the transformation and variety observed in nature. The principle of infinite divisibility also addresses the problem of qualitative change.